A Century of Excellence

Published in 2001, A Century of Excellence in Measurements, Standards, and Technology: A Chronicle of Selected NBS/NIST Publications, 1901-2000 (SP958) commemorates the centennial of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by presenting brief accounts of selected classic NIST publications. These publications illustrate the rich history of the Institute’s scientific and technical accomplishments and the broad scope of its contributions to the U.S.

The Century of Excellence collection, based on the printed publication, consists of short accounts describing 102 representative publications that had a significant impact during the agency’s first century. Out of the tens of thousands of papers appearing in print, these 102 were chosen to illustrate the range of activities covered by the NIST publication program, which includes articles published in scholarly journals as well as papers in NIST’s own publication series’. Many other deserving papers are listed in the bibliographies accompanying each account.

A Century of Excellence is edited by David R. Lide. Its 102 vignettes were written by NIST staff.